Line of sight indicator for an extended reality device

Abstract

There is provided a method performed by an extended reality (XR) device capable of rendering an XR scene. The XR device includes a first group of one or more light sources capable of generating non-visible light. The method comprises using said first group of light sources, generating the non-visible light, and transmitting the non-visible light to another device, thereby generating a non-visible light pattern for allowing said another device to determine whether said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

Description

LINE OF SIGHT INDICATOR FOR AN EXTENDED REALITY DEVICETECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to a line of sight indicator for an extended reality (XR) device.BACKGROUND

[0002] Extended reality (XR) devices are devices for rendering XR scenes, thereby allowing users of the XR devices to experience the XR scenes. Examples of XR devices include virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, and mixed reality (MR) devices.

[0003] XR devices can be provided in different forms. For example, an XR device may be provided in the form of eyeglasses, a goggle, or a helmet. Like normal prescription eyeglasses, a ski goggle, or a motorcycle helmet, an XR device may be worn over the eyes of the user of the XR device.

[0004] In case an XR device is an AR device, the XR device may include a transparent surface via which the user of the XR device can see a real-world environment surrounding the user. The AR device may also include parts for generating and / or overlaying computergenerated content over the view of the real-world environment seen by the user at his / her point of view, in order to enhance the user’s perception of the real-world environment. The computergenerated content may include but are not limited to text, images, videos, animations, and / or three-dimensional (3D) holograms.

[0005] In case an XR device is a MR device, the XR device may be capable of mixing a virtual reality view and a view of a real-world environment. Instead of allowing a user of the XR device to view the real-world environment via a transparent surface of the XR device, the XR device may utilize camera(s) to capture a view of the real-world environment, which may overlay the virtual reality view The MR device may also include an opaque surface preventing the user of the MR device from directly seeing the real-world environment surrounding the MR device.

[0006] Like the MR device, an VR device may include an opaque surface preventing the user of the VR device from directly seeing a real-world environment surrounding the user of the VR device, and it may include parts for generating and / or displaying computer-generated contentcorresponding to a VR environment.SUMMARY

[0007] A certain challenge presently exists. In case an XR device and a secondary device are capable of interacting with each other, an unintended interaction between the XR device and the secondary device may occur. For example, in case two different XR devices — a first XR device and a second XR device — are in the same space, there may be a scenario where the second XR device attempts to interact with the first XR device even though a user of the first XR device is actively engaged in an XR scene rendered by the first XR device, and thus does not want the first XR device to interact with the second XR device. Therefore, there is a need for a way to indicate from the XR device to the secondary device (e.g., another XR device) whether the XR device intends to interact with said another device.

[0008] Accordingly, in one aspect of some embodiments of this disclosure, there is provided a method performed by an extended reality, XR, device capable of rendering an XR scene, the XR device including a first group of one or more light sources capable of generating non-visible light. The method comprises, using said first group of light sources, generating the non-visible light. The method also comprises transmitting the non-visible light to another device, thereby generating a non-visible light pattern for allowing said another device to determine whether said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

[0009] In a different aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which when executed by processing circuitry cause the processing circuitry to perform the method of any one of the above embodiments.

[0010] In a different aspect, there is provided a carrier containing the computer program of the above embodiments, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, and a computer readable storage medium.

[0011] In a different aspect, there is provided an extended reality, XR, device capable of rendering an XR scene, the XR device including a first group of one or more light sources capable of generating non-visible light. The XR device is configured to, using said first group of light sources, generate the non-visible light; and transmit the non-visible light to another device, thereby generating a non-visible light pattern for allowing said another device to determine whether said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

[0012] In a different aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a memory; and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the method of any one of the above embodiments.

[0013] As discussed above, some embodiments of this disclosure allow the secondary device interacting with the XR device to determine whether the secondary device is in line of sight of the XR device, and an interaction of the device and the XR device to occur only when the secondary device is in line of sight of the XR device, thereby preventing an unintended interaction between the two devices.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary scenario where some embodiments of this disclosure can be applied.

[0016] FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an apparatus according to some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 2B shows a function of an apparatus according to some embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 3 A shows an exemplary view of a real- world environment.

[0019] FIG. 3B shows an exemplary extended reality scene.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows an apparatus according to some embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a working principle of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

[0022] FIGS. 6A and 6B show an exemplary use-case of some embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 6C illustrates an exemplary way of detecting device alignment.

[0024] FIGS. 7A and 7B show an exemplary use-case of some embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 8 shows an exemplary use-case of some embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 9 shows a process according to some embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 10 shows an apparatus according to some embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary scenario 100 where some embodiments of this disclosure can be applied. In the scenario 100, a user 102 is wearing and using an XR device 104 and a user 106 is wearing and using an XR device 108. Even though, in FIG. 1, each of the XR device 104 and the XR device 108 has the form of a goggle, in some embodiments, the XR device 104 and / or the XR device 108 may be in a different form. For example, the XR device 104 and / or the XR device 108 may have the form of an eyeglasses or any head mounted device (HMD). Also, in some embodiments, the device 108 may not need to be an XR device. It can be any electronic device capable of communicating with the XR device 104.

[0029] FIG. 2A is a block diagram of the XR device 104 and / or 108 (hereinafter, “the XR device 104 / 108”) according to some embodiments. The block diagram shows only some components included in the XR device 104 / 108. As shown in FIG. 2A, the XR device 104 / 108 may include a first display area 202, a second display area 204, and a third display area 206.

[0030] The first and second display areas 202 and 204 are inward display areas, and the third display area 206 is an outward display area. As shown in FIG. 2B, the inward display areas are directed towards the eyes of the user 102, and are configured to display content to the user 102. As further shown in FIG. 2B, the outward display area is directed towards outside of the XR device 104 / 108, and is configured to display content towards the outside of the XR device 104 / 108. The first display area 202 may be configured to display content for a left eye of the user 102 while the second display area 204 may be configured to display content for a right eye of the user 102.

[0031] Each of the first, second, and third display areas 202-206 may be formed of a separate display panel as shown in FIG. 2B. Alternatively, two or more of the first, second, and third display areas 202-206 may be formed of a single display panel. In case the third display area 206 and one or more of the first and second display areas 202 and 204 are formed of a single display panel, the display panel may be a curved or folded panel. The first, second, and / or third display areas 202-206 may be formed by any electronic display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a microLED display, etc.). In this disclosure, the layer corresponding to the inward display areas 202 and 204 may also be referred as Near Eye Display (NED) layer.

[0032] In some embodiments, the third display area 206 may be configured to display afixed pattern (e.g., text, image(s)). In such embodiments, the third display area 206 may be formed by a layer including the fixed pattern and optionally a light source transmitting light towards the fixed pattern.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2A, the XR device 104 / 108 may also include one or more inward cameras 208 capable of capturing a view of the face of the user 102 and / or a view of the eyes of the user 102, and one or more outward cameras 210 capable of capturing a view of a real-world environment surrounding the XR device 104 / 108. The captured view of the real-world environment can be displayed to the user 102 via the inward display areas 202 and 204.

[0034] FIG. 3 A shows an example of a view 300 of a real-world environment, and FIG. 3B shows a view 302 of the real-world environment reproduced by the inward display areas 202 and 204. As shown in FIG. 3B, in addition to the view 302, the inward display areas 202 and 204 may also be configured to display an overlay 304 on top of the captured view 302 of the real-world environment 300. Even though, in the embodiments shown in FIG. 3B, the view 300 of the real-world environment is reproduced by the inward display areas 202 and 204, as mentioned above, in other embodiments, the user 102 can see the view 300 of the real-world environment via one or more transparent surfaces. For example, in case the XR device 104 / 106 is an MR device, the view 300 of the real- world environment can be reproduced by the inward display areas 202 and 204 while, in case the XR device 104 / 106 is an AR device, the user 102 can see the view 300 via one or more transparent surfaces.

[0035] Referring back to FIG. 2A, the XR device 104 / 108 may also include one or more sensors 212 for determining a distance between the XR device 104 / 108 and an object located outside the XR device 104 / 108, and one or more sensors 214 for detecting a movement of the XR device 104 / 108. One example of the sensors 212 is a LiDAR sensor, and examples of the sensors 214 are a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

[0036] The XR device 104 / 108 may also include one or more processors 216 (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphic processing unit, etc.) and one or more storage mediums 218 (e.g., memories) capable of storing codes executable by at least one of the processors 216. Using the codes, the XR device 104 / 108 is capable of running various applications such as a video conferencing app, a video chatting app, a video streaming app, a photo viewer, an internet browser, etc.

[0037] Referring back to FIG. 1, in the scenario 100, the user 106 wearing the XR device108 is approaching the user 102 wearing the XR device 104, and the XR device 108 is trying to perform a certain communication (e.g., sending data to and / or receiving data from the XR device 104) with the XR device 104. But there may be a case where the user 102 does not want the XR device 104 to perform such communication with the XR device 108. In such case, in the existing art, there is no way for the XR device 104 to indicate to the XR device 108 whether the user 102 wants the XR device 104 to perform such communication.

[0038] In order to solve this problem, in some embodiments, the XR device 104 may include a group of one or more light sources 222 (shown in FIG. 2A) for generating light (e.g., invisible light such as infrared light) that forms a light pattern. The light pattern may allow the XR device 108 to determine whether the XR device 108 is in the line of sight (LoS) of the XR device 104. Here, the light pattern may serve as an indication indicating whether the user 102 of the XR device 104 wants the XR device 104 to perform a certain (or any) communication with the XR device 108.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows some portions of a structure of the XR device 104 according to some embodiments. In FIG. 4, the XR device 104 may serve as an AR device. As shown in FIG. 4, the XR device 104 may include a first transparent member 412, a second transparent member 414, a waveguide 416, a group of light sources 220, and the group of light sources 222.

[0040] Via the first transparent member 412, the right eye 450 of the user 102 of the XR device 104 can receive visible light 406 from the real-world environment surrounding the user 102, and thus the user 102 can see the real-world environment. Similarly, via the second transparent member 414, the left eye 452 of the user 102 of the XR device 104 can receive visible light 406 from the real-world environment surrounding the user 102, and thus the user 102 can see the real-world environment.

[0041] The group of light sources 220 is configured to emit visible light 404 towards the first transparent member 412. The first transparent member 412 may include a waveguide (not shown), and the visible light 404 received at one end of the first transparent member 412 may travel through the waveguide, exit at another end of the first transparent member 412, and be transmitted towards the right eye 450. By generating the visible light 404 and providing the visible light 404 to the right eye 450 of the user 102, the XR device 104 can display content to the user 102. Here, the part of the first transparent member 412 where the visible light 404 goes through may correspond to the inward display area 204.

[0042] The group of light sources 220 is also configured to emit visible light 404 towards the second transparent member 414. The second transparent member 414 may include a waveguide (not shown), and the visible light 404 received at one end of the second transparent member 414 may travel through the waveguide, exit at another end of the second transparent member 414, and be transmitted towards the left eye 452. By generating the visible light 404 and providing the visible light 404 to the left eye 452 of the user 102, the XR device 104 can display content to the user 102. Here, the part of the second transparent member 414 where the visible light 404 goes through may correspond to the inward display area 202. In some embodiments, the light sources 220 may be configured to generate visible light 404 corresponding to two different images. For example, the light source 220 disposed on the side of the right eye 450 may be configured to generate a right eye image for a three-dimension (3D) stereoscopic image and the light source 220 disposed on the side of the left eye 452 may be configured to generate a left eye image for the 3D stereoscopic image. In this example, the left eye image and the right eye image generated by the light sources 220 disposed on the different sides are different.

[0043] Each of the first transparent member 412 and the second transparent member 414 may serve as an optical combiner because each of them may combine the visible light 406 from the real-world environment with the visible light 404 from the group of light sources 220.

[0044] The group of light sources 222 is configured to emit light 402 towards the waveguide 416. The light 402 may either be visible light or non- visible light such as infrared light. The waveguide 416 is configured to guide the light 402 within the waveguide 416, and emit the guided light 402 towards the outward of the XR device 104. FIG. 5 shows how the light 402 can be guided within the waveguide 416. As shown in FIG. 5, the light 402 may be reflected (e.g., via total internal reflection) within the waveguide 416 and exit at one end of the waveguide 416 towards the outward of the XR device 104.

[0045] Even though FIG. 4 shows that the waveguide 416 overlaps only the second transparent member 414, in some embodiments, the waveguide 416 may overlap both the first transparent member 412 and the second transparent member 414. In such embodiment, the light sources 222 may also be provided on the side of the right eye 450, and the light emitted from the light sources 222 may be guided towards a section of the waveguide 416 disposed on the side of the right eye 450, and reflect the light towards the outward of the XR device 104. In furtherembodiments, instead of having one long waveguide 416 overlapping the first and second transparent members 412 and 414, two separate waveguides each of which overlaps each of the first and second transparent members 412 and 414 may be provided. In further embodiments, the waveguide 416 overlaps only the second transparent member 414 as shown in FIG. 4. But in these embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 6C, the light sources 222 may generate light for forming two different patterns at two different focal plane distances. More specifically, at t=tl, the light sources 222 may generate light for forming a first pattern at a first focal plane distance, and then at t=t2, the light sources 222 may generate light for forming a second light pattern at a second focal plane distance. Then when the light patterns are detected by the XR device 108, in case the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104, the two light patterns would be aligned as illustrated in FIG. 6C. On the other hand, in case the XR device 108 is not in the LoS of the XR device 104, the two light patterns would not be aligned as illustrated in FIG. 6C.

[0046] The transmitted light 402 may form a light pattern (and / or a virtual object), and the formed light pattern may be captured by one or more cameras 418 included in the XR device 108 (or any other secondary device). Note that the transmitted light 402 may have a narrow horizontal (and / or vertical) field of view such that the light 402 can only provide the light pattern for viewers / devices in the LoS of the XR device 104. Only the XR device 108, which is in the LoS of the XR device 104 may detect and / or analyze the light pattern, and determine that the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104 based on the detection and / or the analysis of the light pattern.

[0047] In one example, the XR device 108 may compare the brightness of the light pattern to a threshold value, and determine that the XR device 108 is in LoS of the XR device 104 only if the brightness of the light pattern is greater than or equal to the threshold value. In some embodiments, the XR device 108 may determine a distance between the XR devices 104 and 108 based on the brightness of the light pattern. In case the XR device 104 is far away from the XR device 108, the brightness of the light pattern captured by the XR device 108 will be low, and thus the XR device 108 may determine that the XR device 104 is far away from the XR device 108. On the other hand, in case the XR device 104 is near the XR device 108, the brightness of the light pattern captured by the XR device 108 will be high, and thus the XR device 108 may determine that the XR device 104 is near the XR device 108.

[0048] In another example, the light pattern may correspond to a particular code (either intext or image(s) (e.g., a sequence of images)), and the XR device 108 may determine that it is in LoS of the XR device 104 only if the XR device 108 can read the code and / or when the code is matched with a predefined code stored in the XR device 108. Note that when the XR device 108 is not in LoS of the XR device 104, the XR device 108 may not be able to read the code properly.

[0049] After determining that the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104, the XR device 104 and the XR device 108 may perform a certain communication (or an action). FIGS. 6A-7B illustrate examples of such communication.

[0050] FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of such communication in case the device 108 is not an XR device. More specifically, in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the device 108 is a device that can be locked / unlocked (either electrically or physically). Examples of the device 108 include a laptop, a desktop, a smartphone, a tablet, an internet of thing (loT), a vehicle, a door, etc. In this example, the device 108 may determine whether the device 108 is in LoS of the XR device 104, and as a result of determining that the device 108 is in LoS of the XR device 104, the device 108 may wake up from its sleep mode and / or unlock itself such that the user 102 wearing the XR device 104 can access and use the device 108.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6A, when the device 108 is not in the LoS of the XR device 104, the device 108 may be locked. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104, the device 108 may be unlocked such that the user 102 can operate the device 108.

[0052] In some embodiments, the light pattern formed by the light that is transmitted from the XR device 104 may correspond to a code (either in text or an image). In such embodiments, the device 108 may compare the code to a preset code stored in the device 108, and may wake up from its sleep mode and / or unlock itself only when the code is matched to the preset code.

[0053] Additionally, either the XR device 104 or the device 108 may be capable of detecting an additional user input (e.g., detecting a certain hand gesture using the cameras included in the device(s)), and the device 108 may wake up from the sleep mode and / or unlock itself only when the detected gesture corresponds to a preset gesture. Note that, even though, in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the device 108 is provided in the form of a smartphone or a tablet, it can be provided in any other forms such as a laptop, a desktop, a watch, a television, a vehicle, a smart lock, etc.

[0054] FIGS. 7A and 7B show another example of the communication in case the device108 is another XR device. More specifically, view 702 shown in FIG. 7A is a portion of content displayed on the inward display areas of the XR device 108 when the XR device 108 is not in the LoS of the XR device 104, and view 704 shown in FIG. 7B is a portion of content displayed on the inward display areas of the XR device 108 when the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7A, when the XR device 108 is not in the LoS of the XR device 104, the XR device 108 may be restricted from being connected to the XR device 104, and thus the XR device 108 may be restricted from transmitting data to (e.g., sharing content displayed on the inward display areas of the XR device 108) and / or receiving data from the XR device 104. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104, the XR device 108 may be connected to the XR device 104 such that the XR device 108 can transmit data to and / or receive data from the XR device 104. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the inward display area of the XR device 108 may display to its user 106 whether the XR device 108 is connected to the XR device 104 or not.

[0056] In some embodiments, the light pattern formed by the light that is transmitted from the XR device 104 may correspond to a code (either in text or an image). In such embodiments, the XR device 108 may compare the code to a preset code stored in the XR device 108, and may be connected to the XR device 104 only when the code is matched to the preset code.

[0057] As explained above, the above embodiments are directed to performing an action when the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104. However, in some embodiments, an action may be performed when the LoS of the XR device 104 aligns with the LoS of the XR device 108.

[0058] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, each of the XR devices 104 and 108 may be configured to transmit light, thereby forming a light pattern (e.g., which may correspond a projection but not a virtual image). Each of the XR devices 104 and 108 may detect the light pattern generated by another XR device, and in response to detecting that the light pattern generated by one XR device (e.g., the XR device 104) and the light pattern generated by another XR device (e.g., the XR device 108) are aligned, each of the XR devices 104 and 108 may generate a virtual white board 802 at a virtual location corresponding to the location of the overlapped light patterns. The virtual white board 802 may be displayed to the users 102 and 106 via the inward display areas of the XR devices 104 and 108. This embodiment allows veryaccurate mutual positioning of a virtual whiteboard (e.g., a Miro worksheet).

[0059] As discussed above, in some embodiments, after determining that the XR device 108 is in the LoS of the XR device 104, the XR device 104 and the XR device 108 may perform a certain communication (or an action). However, in some embodiments, there may be additional condition(s) for performing such communication. For example, the XR device 104 may be configured to determine whether the XR device 108 is approaching or not, and the XR devices 104 and 108 may be configured to perform the communication only when it is determined that the XR device 108 is approaching the XR device 104. In another example, the XR device 104 (and / or 108) may be configured to determine a distance between the two XR devices, and the two XR devices 104 and 108 may be configured to perform the communication only when the distance is less than a threshold distance value. In further example, the XR devices 104 and 108 may be configured to perform the communication only when it is determined that (1) the XR device 108 is approaching the XR device 104 and (2) the distance between the two XR devices is less than the threshold distance value.

[0060] FIG. 9 shows a process 900 performed by an extended reality, XR, device capable of rendering an XR scene, according to some embodiments. The XR device includes a first group of one or more light sources capable of generating non-visible light. The process 900 may begin with step s902. The step s902 comprises, using said first group of light sources, generating the non-visible light. Step s904 comprises transmitting the non-visible light to another device, thereby generating a non-visible light pattern for allowing said another device to determine whether said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

[0061] In some embodiments, the XR device comprises one or more transparent members via which a user of the XR device can see a real-world environment surrounding the user in a viewing direction, and a direction of transmitting the non-visible light is aligned with the viewing direction.

[0062] In some embodiments, the non-visible light pattern provides an invisible code for unlocking and / or activating said another device.

[0063] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises determining one or more of (i) whether said another device is approaching the XR device and / or (ii) a distance between said another device and the XR device, wherein the non-visible light is transmitted from the XR device to said another device based on the determination.

[0064] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises determining the distance between said another device and the XR device; and comparing the distance to a threshold distance value, wherein the non-visible light is transmitted from the XR device to said another device only when the distance is less than the threshold distance value.

[0065] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises receiving, from said another device, an indication indicating that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device; and based on receiving the indication, determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device, wherein the indication is generated by said another device based on said another device’s detection of the non-visible light pattern.

[0066] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises using one or more light sensors included in the XR device, detecting a non-visible light pattern generated by non-visible light transmitted from said another device; and based on the detection, determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

[0067] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises, using one or more light sensors included in the XR device, detecting a non-visible light pattern generated by non-visible light transmitted from said another device; and based on (i) receiving the indication and (ii) the detection, determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

[0068] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises, based at least on determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device, establishing and / or activating a data communication channel between the XR device and said another device, wherein the data communication channel is for transmitting data to and / or receiving data from said another device.

[0069] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises determining whether a user of the XR device is actively or passively engaged with the XR device; and based at least on (i) the above determination and (ii) receiving the indication and / or detecting the non-visible light pattern generated by the non-visible light transmitted from said another device, displaying, towards outward of the XR device, a message indicating an availability of the user of the XR device.

[0070] In some embodiments, the process 900 comprises, using one or more cameras included in the XR device, capturing a view of at least a part of a real-world environment surrounding the XR device; analyzing the captured view; and based on the analysis, determining whether any person is nearby the XR device and / or whether any person is approaching the XR device, wherein the message indicating the availability of the user of the XR device is displayedfurther based on the determination of whether any person is nearby the XR device and / or whether any person is approaching the XR device.

[0071] In some embodiments, the XR device comprises a first waveguide, and transmitting the non- visible light to said another device comprises: the first group of light sources transmitting the non-visible light to the first waveguide; and the first waveguide guiding the non-visible light and transmitting the non-visible light towards outward of the XR device.

[0072] In some embodiments, the non-visible light is transmitted from the first group of light sources to a first side of the first waveguide or a second side of the first waveguide, the non- visible light is guided and transmitted from a third side of the first waveguide towards the outward of the XR device, the second side is located between the first side and the third side, and the first side of the first waveguide is opposite to the third side of the first waveguide.

[0073] In some embodiments, the XR device comprises a second group of one or more light sources for generating visible light corresponding to display content, the XR device comprises a second waveguide, the second group of light sources is configured to transmit the visible light to the second waveguide, and the second waveguide is configured to guide the visible light and transmit the visible light to a user of the XR device such that the user of the XR device can view the display content.

[0074] In some embodiments, the second waveguide comprises a first side, a second side that is opposite the first side, and a third side disposed between the first side and the second side, the visible light is transmitted from the second group of light sources to the first side of the second waveguide and / or the third side of the second waveguide, and the visible light is guided and transmitted from the first side of the second waveguide towards the user of the XR device.

[0075] In some embodiments, the second side of the second waveguide faces the first side of the first waveguide.

[0076] In some embodiments, the XR device comprises a second group of light sources for generating visible light corresponding to display content, the second group of light sources is configured to transmit the visible light to the first waveguide, and the first waveguide is configured to guide the visible light and transmit the visible light to a user of the XR device such that the user of the XR device can view the display content.

[0077] In some embodiments, the visible light is transmitted from the second group of light sources to the first side of the first waveguide, and the visible light is guided and transmitted fromthe first side of the first waveguide to the user of the XR device.

[0078] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the XR device 104 / 108, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 10, the XR device 104 / 108 may comprise: processing circuitry (PC) 1002, which may include one or more processors (P) 1055 (e.g., one or more general purpose microprocessors and / or one or more other processors, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like); communication circuitry 1048, which is coupled to an antenna arrangement 1049 comprising one or more antennas and which comprises a transmitter (Tx) 1045 and a receiver (Rx) 1047 for enabling the XR device 104 / 108 to transmit data and receive data (e.g., wirelessly transmit / receive data); and a storage unit (a.k.a., “data storage system”) 1008, which may include one or more non-volatile storage devices and / or one or more volatile storage devices. In embodiments where PC 1002 includes a programmable processor, a computer readable storage medium (CRSM) 1042 may be provided. CRSM 1042 may store a computer program (CP) 1043 comprising computer readable instructions (CRI) 1044. CRSM 1042 may be a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as, magnetic media (e.g., a hard disk), optical media, memory devices (e.g., random access memory, flash memory), and the like. In some embodiments, the CRI 1044 of computer program 1043 is configured such that when executed by PC 1002, the CRI causes the XR device 104 / 108 to perform steps described herein (e.g., steps described herein with reference to the flow charts). In other embodiments, the XR device 104 / 108 may be configured to perform steps described herein without the need for code. That is, for example, PC 1002 may consist merely of one or more ASICs. Hence, the features of the embodiments described herein may be implemented in hardware and / or software.

[0079] While various embodiments are described herein, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0080] As used herein transmitting a message “to” or “toward” an intended recipient encompasses transmitting the message directly to the intended recipient or transmitting the message indirectly to the intended recipient (i.e., one or more other nodes are used to relay themessage from the source node to the intended recipient). Likewise, as used herein receiving a message “from” a sender encompasses receiving the message directly from the sender or indirectly from the sender (i.e., one or more nodes are used to relay the message from the sender to the receiving node). Further, as used herein “a” means “at least one” or “one or more.” Further, as used herein “based on” means “based solely on” or “based at least on.”

[0081] Additionally, while the processes described above and illustrated in the drawings are shown as a sequence of steps, this was done solely for the sake of illustration. Accordingly, it is contemplated that some steps may be added, some steps may be omitted, the order of the steps may be re-arranged, and some steps may be performed in parallel.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method (900) performed by an extended reality, XR, device (104) capable of rendering an XR scene, the XR device including a first group of one or more light sources capable of generating non-visible light, the method comprising: using said first group of light sources, generating (s902) the non-visible light; and transmitting (s904) the non-visible light to another device (e.g., 108), thereby generating a non-visible light pattern for allowing said another device to determine whether said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the XR device comprises one or more transparent members via which a user of the XR device can see a real-world environment surrounding the user in a viewing direction, a direction of transmitting the non-visible light is aligned with the viewing direction.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-visible light pattern provides an invisible code for unlocking and / or activating said another device.

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, the method comprising: determining one or more of (i) whether said another device is approaching the XR device and / or (ii) a distance between said another device and the XR device, wherein the non-visible light is transmitted from the XR device to said another device based on the determination.

5. The method of claim 4, the method comprising: determining the distance between said another device and the XR device; and comparing the distance to a threshold distance value, wherein the non-visible light is transmitted from the XR device to said another device only when the distance is less than the threshold distance value.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, the method comprising:receiving, from said another device, an indication indicating that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device; and based on receiving the indication, determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device, wherein the indication is generated by said another device based on said another device’s detection of the non-visible light pattern.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-5, the method comprising: using one or more light sensors included in the XR device, detecting a non-visible light pattern generated by non-visible light transmitted from said another device; and based on the detection, determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

8. The method of claim 6 or 7, the method comprising: based at least on determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device, establishing and / or activating a data communication channel between the XR device and said another device, wherein the data communication channel is for transmitting data to and / or receiving data from said another device.

9. The method of any one of claims 6-8, the method comprising: determining whether a user of the XR device is actively or passively engaged with the XR device; and based at least on (i) the above determination and (ii) determining that said another device is in line of sight of the XR device, displaying, towards outward of the XR device, a message indicating an availability of the user of the XR device.

10. The method of claim 9, the method comprising: using one or more cameras included in the XR device, capturing a view of at least a part of a real-world environment surrounding the XR device; analyzing the captured view; andbased on the analysis, determining whether any person is nearby the XR device and / or whether any person is approaching the XR device, wherein the message indicating the availability of the user of the XR device is displayed further based on the determination of whether any person is nearby the XR device and / or whether any person is approaching the XR device.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the XR device comprises a first waveguide, and transmitting the non- visible light to said another device comprises: the first group of light sources transmitting the non-visible light to the first waveguide; and the first waveguide guiding the non-visible light and transmitting the non- visible light towards outward of the XR device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-visible light is transmitted from the first group of light sources to a first side of the first waveguide or a second side of the first waveguide, the non-visible light is guided and transmitted from a third side of the first waveguide towards the outward of the XR device, the second side is located between the first side and the third side, and the first side of the first waveguide is opposite to the third side of the first waveguide.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the XR device comprises a second group of one or more light sources for generating visible light corresponding to display content, the XR device comprises a second waveguide, the second group of light sources is configured to transmit the visible light to the second waveguide, and the second waveguide is configured to guide the visible light and transmit the visible light to a user of the XR device such that the user of the XR device can view the display content.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second waveguide comprises a first side, a second side that is opposite the first side, and a third side disposed between the first side and the second side, the visible light is transmitted from the second group of light sources to the first side of the second waveguide and / or the third side of the second waveguide, and the visible light is guided and transmitted from the first side of the second waveguide towards the user of the XR device.

15. The method of claim 14 when claim 13 depends on claim 12, wherein the second side of the second waveguide faces the first side of the first waveguide.

16. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the XR device comprises a second group of light sources for generating visible light corresponding to display content, the second group of light sources is configured to transmit the visible light to the first waveguide, and the first waveguide is configured to guide the visible light and transmit the visible light to a user of the XR device such that the user of the XR device can view the display content.

17. The method of claim 16 when claim 16 depends on claim 12, wherein the visible light is transmitted from the second group of light sources to the first side of the first waveguide, and the visible light is guided and transmitted from the first side of the first waveguide to the user of the XR device.

18. A computer program (1043) comprising instructions (1044) which when executed by processing circuitry (1002) cause the processing circuitry (1002) to perform the method of any one of claims 1-17.

19. A carrier containing the computer program of claim 18, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, and a computer readable storage medium (1042).

20. An extended reality, XR, device (104) capable of rendering an XR scene, the XR device including a first group of one or more light sources capable of generating non-visible light, the XR device being configured to: using said first group of light sources, generate (s902) the non-visible light; and transmit (s904) the non-visible light to another device (e.g., 108), thereby generating a non-visible light pattern for allowing said another device to determine whether said another device is in line of sight of the XR device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 2-17.

22. An apparatus (1000) comprising: a memory (1042); and processing circuitry (1002) coupled to the memory (1042), wherein the apparatus (1000) is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-17.

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